E-cigarettes health risks unknown

Dec. 9, 2013

Written by

Gary Crist

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Dear Gary: My wife and I have an issue on which we need some advice. We have an almost 17-year-old son who has started smoking or using electronic cigarettes. He and his friends have found some places that cater to e-cigarette smokers. He says that he likes the buzz he gets from the nicotine and they like to try different flavors. He has been told that they are ďsafeĒ and do not pose the same health hazards that real cigarettes do. I guess we donít know enough about the e-cigarettes to have an intelligent conversation. It seems that, because they contain nicotine, that it canít be all that good for him. Have you run across any information about this trend and should we forbid him from smoking these things?

ó Seeking information

in Fort Collins

Dear Seeking Information: I have never tried an e-cigarette, but I do know that they were invented in China and came to the U.S. sometime around 2006 or 2007. Since then, they have become a multibillion-dollar industry and their popularity is growing. Because they contain no tobacco, e-cigarettes aren't subject to U.S. tobacco laws, which means they can be purchased without proof of age, especially online. This raises concerns that e-cigs may be particularly appealing to kids and may encourage nicotine addiction among young people. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 1.8 million teens used e-cigarettes last year and that is a 100 percent increase from the previous year.

The main reason people use e-cigarettes is the nicotine, and e-cigarettes are new enough that not a lot of research has been done to determine both the short- and long-term safety. Some people say they use e-cigarettes as a way to quit smoking regular tar cigarettes. The jury is out on whether e-cigarettes are safer than traditional cigarettes.

One positive is that the risks associated with secondhand smoke are not there with e-cigarettes and some bars are more open to allowing patrons to use e-cigarettes in their establishments. I think your logic is sound that anything that puts nicotine into our system cannot be healthy.

Given your sonís age, it may not be worth the time and energy to take a stand against him using e-cigarettes. It probably will be several years before test results can help us know if e-cigarettes pose a significant health risk. Perhaps a compromise could be arranged between you and your son to limit the number of times a week he uses e-cigarettes; all things in moderation. Good luck.